ORIGINS Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

origins

noun

plural of origin

as in sources

a point or place at which something is invented or provided the origins of human language remain a matter of considerable debate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in roots

the source from which something grows or develops the origin of the tradition of giving presents at Christmastime

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in lineages

the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended they could trace their origins back 15 generations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of origins The conflict over Sabbath services in Charleston is widely regarded, although somewhat controversially, as the origins of Reform Judaism in the United States. — Ashley Walters, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 In particular, the event highlighted how sharing patients’ health records with federal researchers could benefit the study of the origins of chronic diseases. — Brittany Trang, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026 By the 20th century, the use of mummy brown had begun to decline, with more people becoming aware of its grisly origins. — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 29, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 Bracing for a ‘wave of disputes’ Take-or-pay contracts have their origins in the energy sector, where long and capital-intensive production timelines justified a similar legal ultimatum. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026 His new solo album, Wowed Out, arrives after years of music with My Morning Jacket and several other projects, but its origins reach back 15 years, when James was recruited to write soundtrack music for an unnamed feature film. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026 What's intriguing is that both near-Earth asteroids, Bennu and Ryugu, which have been destinations for successful sample-return missions should both have very similar origins. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 Sep. 2026 Stars of the new Prime Video romance, The Love Hypothesis, chat about the story’s origins in fan fiction. — Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2026 The 50 most valuable EU companies trace their origins back more than 150 years, on average. — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for origins

Noun

One of the sources had said last week that reported TPLF restrictions on mobile communications may be part of a tactic to neutralize government forces' advantage in using battlefield drones, by preventing them from accessing the mobile network.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
An 18-year-old woman was bound and raped by a man inside his Queens apartment more than a year ago, and a suspect has now been arrested, police and law enforcement sources said Friday.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of sources

Noun

The clothing brand, known for its buttery soft denim pants, started in 2002 with the aim to combine British roots with the energy of New York City’s fashion with a modern twist.

— Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
The arrival of Alma, a real estate developer from Madrid who settles in Gazulea with her two daughters, disrupts the community’s life and sparks a conflict between the town’s future and the preservation of its roots.

— Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of roots

Noun

When the catastrophe wiped out their massive non-avian relatives, the bird lineages that survived were positioned to take advantage of newly vacant ecological niches.

— Kevin Brown, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
The researchers have shared their findings with the IUCN, whose upcoming review will assess the five lineages separately.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of lineages

Noun

Soft, dynamic cushioning cradles your feet with every step while providing maximum support, providing transition assistance between launch and landing.

— Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
Egypt, one of the word’s cradles of civilization, is also a vibrant, modern country.

— Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Definition of cradles

Noun

The work this time comes from having not only more time to make it but also a different environment altogether, spurred in part by the pandemic, which afforded Mastrangelo a moment to pause and reflect on his beginnings as a designer.

— Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
The joint, which makes AI tools developed by and intended for filmmakers from essentially open source beginnings, saw its staff of less than 20 absorbed into the streamer and Affleck on board as an advisor.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of beginnings

Noun

But Shanes questioned whether grouping Jews under a single ethnic category would produce sufficiently specific data for those purposes, or instead obscure differences among Jewish populations with distinct ancestries.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
This technique overcomes limitations of older methods like genotyping arrays, which were often biased towards European ancestries and less accurate.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of ancestries

Noun

Global flavors with local pedigrees provide the secret sauce for Seattle’s culinary scene.

— Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
The cast has become a kind of living monument to New York theater, with Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Donna Murphy, Kelli O’Hara, Audra McDonald, and many others bringing Broadway pedigrees to the series.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of pedigrees

Noun

Sometimes, though, these genealogies of behavior can seem beside the point, serving only to dull one’s analysis of the situation.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
The scientists’ method reconstructs genealogies, or maps showing where different pieces of DNA came from and how they were passed down, revealing branches of our evolutionary past.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of genealogies

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originators

origins

orison

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Style

“Origins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/origins. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of origins

noun

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